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The King had not been invited to Deepnest often. Only once before, if he recalled correctly, when the Beast accepted his offer to speak. There, they had agreed: a Dreamer for a child, and peace between their people.
The child had arrived. It was time to meet it- rather, 'her', the Beast's letter communicated.
And so, Queen at his side, the King traversed the dark tunnels of Deepnest. As the two passed, they could see Weavers and Devouts alike shrinking away, further into the darkness. Their natural light must be far too bright for them. A shame, he thought.
They stepped out into a large cavern. It was just as dark as its counterparts, save for lights pouring out of the hanging homes of the village. As the two monarchs appeared, heads turned.
"The King is here!" A voice hissed. "Alert the Midwife!"
They watched as a few bugs scrambled from the small crowd, making their way up and into the largest of the silk homes. The rest stared at the King and Queen warily, eyes alight with suspicion. Distrust. He could not blame them, he supposed, but with the child arrived a newfound peace. He hoped they would respect that.
A few minutes passed, and soon a dark figure slithered out. They had an unimposing face- clearly fake, as it was split in two- and it smiled down at them.
"Ah… Hallownest's King has arrived. Good. Our lady has been awaiting you, and she grows impatient. Come, come." They beckoned them. They complied.
"You must be the Midwife…?" The King inquired. "I'm afraid I do not know much about you."
"We are not surprised." She responded. It looked as if she had more to say, but she wisely bit her tongue. The two were led into the largest house. It was filled with mingling inhabitants, and they, much to the surprise of the King, resembled the residents of the City of Tears, almost uncannily. The chattering stopped and they all turned their heads to look at the monarchs. Unsettled, he opted to ignore them.
"Did everything go smoothly?" The Queen suddenly asked; the first words she'd spoken the entire trip.
"Yes. The child is healthy and everything went as it should have."
"Good." She nodded. The Midwife hummed in response. Then, she stopped in front of a wall.
"Here. You'll have to climb, I'm afraid… but your clothes should not get too dirty." The statement had clear bite to it, but the King decided to ignore it.
"Very well."
And so, the Midwife disappeared into a hole in the ceiling. The King and Queen shared a glance before they began climbing up after her.
They emerged in a dark series of halls, decorated with extensive amounts of silk and the empty shells of long dead bugs. The Midwife awaited them.
"Come, this way."
She turned and led them through a winding series of tunnels, waving off Devouts as she went. The paths eventually turned upwards, so up they went, Midwife navigating it expertly while the King was silently astonished she could find her way through the maze at all. Soon enough, they found themselves in a more open room, and in front of them was a hall. It was even quieter than the rest of the village, and something deep within told the King it was a place of importance.
"They're in here." Midwife said, her voice hushed. "Watch where you walk, and keep your voice quiet."
He had half a mind to tell her off for giving him orders, but he did not have time. She was already gone down the hall. With a huff, he looked up at his wife. She met his gaze and offered a kind, understanding smile.
"Do not fret, my dear. I'm sure it will go well."
She entwined her hand with his, and he relaxed in turn.
"You're right."
He looked down the dark hall once more, took a deep breath, and began to walk, hand in hand with his wife.
As they walked, a feeling of dread sank into his stomach, eating away further and further at him as they got closer and closer. He could see the dull flicker of candlelight dance off the walls as they neared, and soon he could see into the chamber.
They stepped into the room. It was fairly sizable; it had to be, for the bug it accommodated; and candles littered the floor, still lit and providing a warm color to the surrounding darkness. In the middle of the room, laid on her stomach on a stone slab, was the Beast. Herrah. Beside her, the Midwife.
As they entered, her head turned. Her black eyes bore into the King. She was a sight to behold; she towered over him just as his Queen did, and she was certainly an imposing figure, even now. She said nothing at first, only studied him. Then, he felt her gaze slide off of him and land on the Queen.
"You've made it." She finally spoke, looking back at the King. "It took you long enough."
"Yes, well, I only got your letter a few hours ago. I came as soon as I could."
A tense silence settled over the room. Herrah narrowed her eyes. He returned the look. After a few moments, he looked down at her folded hands. He could not see it clearly, but he could just barely make out she was holding something close to her chest. The anger was washed away, and replaced by the nerves he was feeling just moments before. His expression became one of curiosity, and he approached the bed, eyes still fixed on the bundle in her arms.
Herrah maintained her glare for a few more moments. Then, her expression softened, and she carefully revealed the small bug in her arms.
The child was a tiny thing, much smaller than he expected. She had a crescent-shaped head, one that he was sure would grow to be identical to her mother's, and her eyes were closed. She was swaddled in a red blanket. It seemed she liked it, seeing as the poor fabric already had various holes from her small fangs.
The King stared at her, eyes wide with wonder. She was so small, so delicate, he was afraid just gazing at her would shatter her into a thousand pieces. Then, slowly, her eyes opened. At first, she gazed up at her mother, but naturally, she was drawn to look at the glowing figures in front of her. Her eyes were huge and curious, sparkling with intrigue. He could see his reflection in them.
He began to reach out for her. He glanced up at Herrah to ensure it was okay, and her expression gave no indication of disapproval. The spiderling watched, wide eyed, as his clawed hand cupped her head. She made a fussing noise and began to wiggle until her own hands were free. She grabbed at him and attempted to nip at his fingers. He allowed it. He tried to hide the way his hand shook, and the way he could feel tears welling in his eyes.
"She's…"
He wanted to say perfect. He wanted to say beautiful. He wanted to say anything, anything at all that could communicate the way she tore at his heart. But he balked. He could not. He was the King, and this child was nothing more than a symbol of peace between Deepnest and Hallownest. He could not get attached.
No cost too great.
"She looks just like her mother." He settled on. Simple, to the point. He withdrew his hand. Herrah glowered at him.
"She does," she muttered.
"May I hold her…?" The Queen asked, approaching. The King shuffled to allow her room. Herrah regarded her for a moment.
"You may."
She slowly handed her the bundle of spiderling, and the Queen smiled as she looked down at her.
"She is wonderful." She declared.
"You do not despise her?" The Beast asked, skepticism dripping in her voice.
"I could never. You and my husband made a deal, nothing more. I hold no ill will for the child, or you." She watched the spiderling for a moment longer before returning her to the embrace of her mother.
"That is surprising, I must admit." Herrah responded, tucking the child's arms back into the swaddle, which seemed to disgruntle her. "I thought you would think of her poorly, given our tribe's already sour history with your kingdom."
"I do not. Those days are behind us with this child's arrival, and that is what we must focus on."
The Beast remained silent. Then, she handed the child to the Midwife. She sat up and turned to face the two monarchs as the Midwife slinked away.
"Will this peace remain when I'm gone?"
"Yes. As long as Hallownest lives, Deepnest is our ally." The King assured.
"And what of the child?"
"We will take her to the Palace when she is old enough and grant her visits to her home here in Deepnest as she requests."
"Mm."
The King watched her. She looked apprehensive, sad.
"Herrah, I assure you, your role in this is critical. Your role in the Sealing will save your citizens and Hallownest's."
The Queen rested a hand on his shoulder. She shook her head. He frowned at her, but they were interrupted by the Beast sighing.
"I do not do this for Hallownest. I do this for her. Understand?" She said, rising to her full height.
"I understand."
"Good. Now, leave this place. I must rest."
With that, she disappeared down the same path the Midwife had. The King watched her leave and then sighed deeply, reaching up to clutch his wife's hand.
"You are doing the right thing," she assured.
"I know." He murmured.
"Come, let's get home." She guided him away from the bed and began leading him out of the chamber. As they went, he turned his head and looked back one last time.
Hallownest would endure.